Google developing self-driving cars

Rancho Palos Verdes, California – Google Inc. is expanding its effort to develop self-driving vehicles. As reported by Reuters, the Internet giant has been building small electric cars that don’t have typical car components such as steering wheels, brake pedals, or driver seats, as prototypes, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Tuesday at the Code conference in Southern California.

The company is reportedly seeking to develop up to 200 models of the cars in the near future, and make them available in a couple of years.

According to Brin, the cars could be used in a service fashion to transport passengers and eventually operate in interconnected fleets.

Brin is quoted by Reuters as stating of having traveled in one, “Ten seconds after getting in I was doing my email, I had forgotten I was there… It ultimately reminded me of catching a chairlift.”

Legislation has been passed in a few states, including California, that allow self-driving cars to be tested on public roads.

Brin is further stated of the vehicles, “Within a couple of years I hope we will surpass the safety metrics we’ve put in place, which is to be significantly safer than a human driver, and we will start testing them without drivers and hopefully you’ll be able to utilize them at some limited cities.”